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Mid-infrared spectroscopy of crystalline plagioclase feldspar samples with various Al,Si order and implications for remote sensing of Mercury and other terrestrial Solar System objects

Hiesinger, Harald; Helbert, Jörn; Weber, Iris +4 more

We analyzed plagioclase feldspar samples that were well-characterized in terms of chemical composition as well as degree of Al,Si order in mid-infrared reflection spectra between 7 µm and 14 µm (1429 cm^-1 and 714 cm^-1). The chemical compositions were derived with an electron microprobe analyzer. To determine the d…

Space weathering by simulated micrometeorite bombardment on natural olivine and pyroxene: A coordinated IR and TEM study

Hiesinger, Harald; Helbert, Jörn; Weber, Iris +9 more

We studied space-weathering effects caused by micrometeorite bombardment simulated by pulsed intense infrared laser, generating ∼15 mJ per pulse in high vacuum. For our investigation, we selected a natural olivine (San Carlos olivine (Fo₉₁)) and a natural pyroxene (Bamble orthopyroxene (En₈₇)) as important rock forming minera…

Spectral behavior of sulfides in simulated daytime surface conditions of Mercury: Supporting past (MESSENGER) and future missions (BepiColombo)

Hiesinger, H.; Maturilli, A.; Helbert, J. +2 more

To detect the mineral diversity of a planet's surface, it is essential to study the spectral variations over a broad wavelength range at relevant simulated laboratory conditions. The MESSENGER (Mercury Surface, Space Environment, Geochemistry, and Ranging) mission to Mercury discovered that irrespective of its formation closest to the Sun, Mercury…